Echoes
by Skyknight1987
Summary: It has been years since they disbanded and went their separate ways. Years since she has seen him in person,the only man she has ever loved. And now he is married. Wheeler/Linka, Wheeler/Gi. Told in flashbacks.
1. Reunions

**My first CP fic. I usually delight in throwing twists in the stories I write, and I figure pairings need competition to spice things up.**

**Warning- This is not your typical Wheeler/Linka fic. There will be twists. There will be breaking up and making up. You'll just have to see how it goes. And how it ends. **

**Most of the story will be in flashbacks. The chapters in the 'present time' are just fillers between two flashbacks.**

**Despite the alternate pairing, there will be no mentions of adultery in this story. Personally, I strongly disapprove of cheating.**

** **Disclaimer – Don't own franchise, not making any money off this.****

* * *

><p>Dr. Gi Hwang took off her lab coat and hung it on an available hook, pausing to glance over her lab area. Satisfied that everything was in order, she picked up her purse and headed for the door, while mentally making a note of the list of supplies she needed to order, and the final draft of her research paper.<p>

"Alright Jwalin, that's it for today. I'll see you on Monday morning," she called out to her lab assistant who was hunched over the computer, looking over the week's findings with the rapt attention of a fortune teller looking into a crystal ball.

Jwalin Saxena, her lab assistant and the PhD candidate under her supervision, looked up startled at the sound of his name and then twisted around to glance at the wall clock while somehow maintaining his hunched position, a feat of contortion which impressed Gi.

"It's just lunchtime, Doc. Leaving early today?" he asked.

"I'm meeting a few old friends for…well… a reunion," Gi said. "And since there doesn't seem to be anything urgent in the lab, I figured I might as well clock out early."

"Your former Planeteer colleagues?"

Gi looked at him startled. "How did you know that?" She asked in surprise.

"Just a…shot in the dark," Jwalin said sheepishly. "They're the only old friends of yours that I know about."

Gi smiled. "Alright, have fun on your weekend."

"Not likely," Jwalin snorted. "I'll probably be in the lab all of tomorrow and most of Sunday, as usual." He said glancing at the computer. "I figure I could get a head start on developing an experimental protocol to cross reference our data on manta ray migrations."

"Dedication is a good thing, but you shouldn't slave over the project like that," Gi chided him gently, pausing a moment to reflect on the irony that she had to be the only researcher in the institute who was urging her _over_working assistant to work _less._ "Take some rest. Hang out with friends, have fun. The data will still be there on Monday"

"Its not as if I've got anything particularly interesting scheduled for the weekend, Doc," Jwalin said dismissively. "And the more hours I put in, the faster I can finish my doctorate."

Gi let the matter drop for the moment. Jwalin's work schedule was extremely irregular. He was known to arrive early in the lab and then disappear for half a day and then return after everyone else had left and work until midnight. Gi allowed him to get away with his erratic work habits since he consistently got results and was usually ahead of schedule. Nevertheless she made a mental note to sit him down one day and give him a lecture, mentor to mentee, on the importance of adhering to a proper work schedule and making time for his personal and social life, especially once he was married and had a family that he needed to spend time with. Gi had seen other people whose obsession with work had taken them to the breaking point. Of their lives, their marriages, and even their sanity, eventually reducing them to burnt out shells of their former selves. And Gi couldn't stand the thought of any of her students ending up like that. But despite his unconventional working hours Jwalin was extremely efficient, and Gi would be sorry to see him go after the completion of his doctorate project.

On the drive home she let her mind wander to the get-together scheduled for later in the evening at her house. It had been a long time, too long, since she had seen any of them. _Him_ in particular. All of them kept in touch and corresponded frequently over the phone and through e-mail. Occasionally they managed to meet as and when their schedules and lives permitted. One time, Kwame had been in Washington for a conference and Wheeler had driven down to meet up with him. Another time Gi had been in Brazil and had dropped by to see Ma-Ti. But this was the first time since they had disbanded and gone their separate ways that they would all be in the same place at the same time. Coming out of her reverie, she checked her watch. The others wouldn't be here for another four hours at least.

An hour and a half later she stepped out of the shower wrapped in a towel and feeling at least refreshed, if not particularly beautiful, charitable and intelligent. Stopping in front of the mirror, she paused for a moment to examine herself critically. Once the second shortest member of the team, she now stood at a decent height of five feet seven inches. Though now she was _the_ shortest of the group, Ma-Ti having overtaken her in height. She had softened her earlier tomboyish looks, allowing her formerly close cropped hair to grow into a long mane of luxuriant black hair that reached halfway down her back, framing an attractive open heart shaped face with high cheekbones. Her hair in particular had always been one of _his _favorite things about her.

Turning her attention to her closet, she rifled through her outfits trying to decide which one to wear. Should she go for a casual look for an evening with friends, or a more formal dress? Even though they were meeting at her house it was supposed to be Wheeler's treat and he had requested them all to 'dress up'. Although his definition of 'dressing up' could mean anything from formal office wear to formal evening wear. She shrugged. Since she didn't have any idea what exactly Wheeler had planned for the night, she might as well go for splitting the difference.

Alright, so she needed something that was formal-ish, but not too formal. Something that would not look out of place in a high class restaurant or at a house party. Something that made her look good without being showy. Something that would enable her to fit without sticking out. Something that wasn't gaudy, but not sober either. Minimal make-up.

_Hmm. The black strapless gown? No, too formal. The white chiffon dress? Nah, too frilly. The yellow lace? God, what possessed Mom to buy that puffy dress for me? It makes me look fat. The green wrap? Not quite. The blue evening gown. Maybe. The..._

Gi froze, her eyebrows raised, as her fingers brushed against a dress that she hadn't worn in quite a while. Slowly, almost reverently, she lifted the dress from where it was almost hidden out of view behind the others and held it against herself, looking in the mirror. It was a red _cheongsam_, a body-hugging one-piece Chinese dress for women which extended from a high collar neck to halfway below the knee, with slits on both sides and short sleeves coming barely halfway to her elbow.

It was a symbolic dress, the traditional _cheongsam_ redesigned into a modern image. It was elegant with a touch of sexy. The formfitting dress and the high slits showed off her fantastic figure without revealing too much skin. And it served as a reminder of her unique Chinese heritage, something that was an influential part of her upbringing and identity, in tandem with exposure to the modern world. It was a dress which she reserved for very special occasions, usually family functions or formal parties among a group of close friends. It was special, not so much because it was a reminder of her culture, but because _he_ had gifted it to her so many years ago. And it wasn't just because _he_ had gifted it to her, but because he had spent so much time and effort in getting it exactly right. That was what made it so special.

_The red cheongsam?_ She considered for a moment, and her face broke into a small smile which stretched into a devilish grin. _Yes, definitely._

She turned away from the window, still thinking about _his_ expression when he saw her in that dress. A teasing reminder of old times. So strange that she, a grown woman, would get this worked up about a dress as if she was a teenager.

_It's not the dressing up that I am getting worked up over,_ she admitted to herself. _I still enjoy dressing up for _him. She shook her head slowly, the smile very much in place. _Look at me, crushing on a man who has been married for years._ But despite their messy history, and all that had happened since, he was still very special to her, and always had been.

_Admit it, you still love him. _A voice spoke up triumphantly at the back of her mind.

_Yes, I do._ She admitted. _I never stopped._

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I figured I'd throw a twist in the usual Wheeler/Linka. And nothing gets the blood pumping like competition.**

**I haven't revealed the pairings yet. Feel free to guess as the story proceeds. Right now it could go either way.**

**Like it? Hate it? Please review.**

**Feel free to criticize on any flaws, however minute, along with suggestions for improvement.**


	2. Changes

**A/N – And now we come to the second chapter.**

**Many thanks to OzQueene and mudget for reviewing. Special thanks to mudget for the corrections. **

**This seems to be turning out to be my least well received story. But hey, I love a good angst and a twist in the tale**

**Hope you like it.**

**Disclaimer - As before, I am in no way profiting from this.**

* * *

><p>Kwame squinted through the gathering darkness as he carefully guided the rental car through the wide street. Despite his frequent trips to a dozen different countries, both during and after his Planeteer days, it still felt unnatural for him to be driving on the right side of the road. The 'wrong' side according to the South African traffic system. Finally conceding that he didn't have the slightest clue as to where exactly they were, he spoke up, "Amanda, are you sure we are in the right place?"<p>

His fiancée resisted a delicious wisecrack about men never asking for directions and leaned forward to scan both sides of the street.

"There," she said suddenly, pointing to the skeletal silhouette of an unfinished building looming ahead of them in the darkness. "Gi said that her apartment complex is just opposite to a construction site. Must be that one. Go ahead and take the first left."

"Alright, should be this one," Kwame muttered a minute later, bringing his car to a stop in front of what he assumed to be Gi's apartment building. Both of them exited the car and climbed the stairs silently, each one lost in his or her own thoughts. For Kwame, it had been a long time since he had seen anyone other than Wheeler and Linka. For Amanda, it had been too long since she had been in Florida.

"This must be the one," Amanda said at last as they stopped in front of a door decorated with two lines of Chinese characters. At Amanda's encouraging nod, Kwame rang the doorbell and stepped back with an uncharacteristic apprehensiveness that mildly surprised him. Almost immediately, there was a sound of footsteps, quick and light, before the door flew open. Kwame had a brief impression of a stunning dark haired woman in a full length red dress before he and Amanda were both swept into a tight hug.

"You're here. Oh it is _so_ good to see you. How was your flight? Did you have any hassles? They've been giving storm forecasts for a week now. It's been playing hell with my field surveys. I was afraid that your flight might be delayed or something. But obviously, you're here so…" Gi babbled.

"Gi, air," Amanda squeaked. Gi stopped and released them at once, her face flaming almost as red as her dress.

"Sorry… so sorry." She said blushing furiously. Kwame chuckled before enveloping her in a loose hug. Both of them took a step back and took a moment to observe each other critically after a gap of several years.

"You look good," Kwame said finally, with a twinkle in his eye. Even though the two of them had occasionally exchanged photographs over the Internet, Kwame still remembered her as a young soft-hearted soft-spoken girl with close cropped hair dressed in her usual shorts and oil stained purple shirt. Looking at the self assured adult standing before him now, it suddenly made him aware how much time had passed and how much they had all changed since.

Changed beyond recognition.

"You look great too," Gi said beaming.

"You don't have to exaggerate, Gi," Kwame said with a roll of the eyes. "I see myself in the mirror every day."

Truth be told, the passage of years had not been as kind to Kwame as they had been to Gi. Unlike Gi, who looked younger than her years, Kwame looked older than he actually was. Always the most serious minded of the group (except maybe for Linka), his features had now grown positively grim. The lines on his face bore testament to the enormous burden of responsibility that he bore in his position. However the pressure which could have caused a lesser man to cave in had only served to make him tougher. It was his eyes that gave him away, Gi thought. There was steel in those eyes. It was the look of a man who had built an entire life by overcoming obstacles and was calmly assured of his own ability to dispatch off any problems as fast as they arose.

"No. I think it suits you," Gi insisted. "You look…debonair."

"_Debonair?"_Kwame asked with a pained look. He turned to look at Amanda who was trying, and failing, to keep a straight face.

"Don't worry dear," she said between giggles. "I still think you're handsome."

Kwame opened his mouth to retort and abruptly closed it again as footsteps sounded outside the door. Too heavy to be Linka, too brisk to be Wheeler. A moment later there was a short knock on the door and a shaggy head poked inside.

"Umm, Gi?"

_"Ma-Ti."_ With another delighted squeal Gi flung herself at him. Her greeting was a bit less enthusiastic than the one she had given Kwame. She had seen Ma-Ti only a few months ago and they had already done their catching up.

"Easy there." Ma-Ti chuckled. His eyes lit up when he saw Kwame and Amanda.

"Ah, it is so good to see you again, my friends," he beamed, walking towards them and pumping Amanda's hand. "It has been too long."

Kwame chuckled. "Same here, old friend," he said as they exchanged a one armed hug. "Same here."

Stepping back, he took a moment to observe Ma-Ti critically. The passage of time had been less severe on Ma-Ti than it had been on Kwame. But he had not escaped unscathed either. Once the shortest of the team, he now topped Kwame's height by an inch, though his girth had not increased in proportion, giving him a lanky look. The earlier innocence and placidity had gone from his features entirely. His eyes revealed skepticism and disillusionment borne out of years of seeing the inefficiency, and worse the apathy, of bureaucracy and hearing promises which were more often unfulfilled than not. But despite all that, there was as smile on his countenance. Not his earlier bright and optimistic smile. It had changed tone over the years, becoming less exuberant and more knowing. It was the smile of a man who had seen much in a relatively short time, good and bad, joyful and painful, and who still considered that there was enough good in humanity to make life worth living.

A high pitched scream jerked Kwame rudely out of his reverie. It took him a moment to realize that it was a squeal of girlish delight and not a scream of distress. And the screamer turned out to be Gi who was fawning over the large rock on Amanda's finger which announced to the world that she was taken.

_Here we go again,_ Kwame thought ruefully. Turning back to Ma-Ti he spoke drily, "We might as well set up camp here. It'll take hours for them to resurface."

"I heard that," Gi called from across the room, throwing Kwame a dirty look.

Ma-Ti snickered. "Okay, so the four of us are here," he said glancing at the clock. "That just leaves the awesome twosome." He winced as the expression on Gi's face soured for a moment on hearing Wheeler and Linka described as a 'twosome'.

"Think we should call and see what's keeping them?" Amanda asked, not sensing anything amiss. "By the way, wasn't Linka supposed to be in New York today?"

"Wheeler said he'd pick her up and drop her back afterward." Gi said, suddenly overcome by a wave of irrational jealousy which surprised her. _Why _now_, after all these years?_ She asked herself. She couldn't believe that she was still a bit jealous of Linka over Wheeler, after all this time. She and Wheeler had been married for years. What reason did Gi have for being jealous _now_ all of a sudden?

But no one had ever accused the human race as a whole of always being rational. And Gi, scientist though she may be, was still human.

A loud high pitched mechanical whine cut into her thoughts causing her eyes to widen in recognition and disbelief. She hadn't heard that sound in years, but she would recognize that pitch anywhere. Not surprising considering that she once knew that sound better than her own heartbeat. Kwame and Ma-Ti wore identical looks of astonishment. After a moment of standing frozen in disbelief, all three of then rushed to the bay windows just in time to see a familiar small yellow aircraft touch down in the empty plot next to Gi's apartment building. One of the side doors opened and a familiar redhead clambered out and made a sweeping bow to the other occupant in the aircraft, holding out a hand to help her out. His blonde companion gently swatted his hand aside, climbing out without any assistance.

"The Geo-cruiser," Ma-Ti breathed. "I thought our successors still use it."

"They've upgraded to an amphibian," Gi murmured, gazing at the trusty aircraft that had been through so much with them. "I thought they had junked this thing."

The sound of the door flying open made them all jump. They whirled around to find Wheeler standing grinning in the doorway, large as life and twice as cocky.

"I'm baaaaaack." He sang out in his best Arnold Schwarzenegger impersonation, eliciting a roll of the eyes from Linka. He moved forward in a fluid movement, so different from the brash roughneck style that the others remembered, and grasped Kwame in a one armed hug.

"Kwame, my man, it's great to see ya. Now where is this lady that you can't stop talking about? Oh, there," he said, suddenly catching sight of Amanda standing next to Ma-Ti. Striding forward, he extended his hand. "You must be Amanda. Kwame's told me a lot about you," he said, flashing Kwame a wicked grin. "In fact you are pretty much all he talks about."

Amanda shook herself out of her speechless state, mentally hitting herself for acting like a starstruck fan. But it's not everyone who gets to be on first name terms with an A-list celebrity. "Really?" She drawled, shooting Kwame a coy look. "He's given me an earful about you as well."

"Believe every single word he said," Wheeler snickered. "Especially the bad ones." Turning to Ma-Ti he exchanged another hug and looked him up and down.

"I see you're finally as tall as I am," Wheeler remarked. "Even though you'd still get blown away by a stiff wind." It was true. Adults now, both men stood eye-to-eye. But Ma-Ti still felt minuscule compared to his muscular American friend.

Gi allowed the banter to continue for what she deemed was a reasonable amount of time before she loudly, and pointedly, cleared her throat. Both men fell silently and turned to look at her. Ma-Ti warily and Wheeler sheepishly.

"Umm, hi Gi," Wheeler said casually and somewhat awkwardly. Gi crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Wheeler with mock sternness.

"You're late." She said primly.

Wheeler shrugged, his smile stretching into a lazy grin that made her think of the old Wheeler. From before their disbanding. "It's called being _fashionably_ late. It was important that everyone else arrived _before_ me in order for _my_ entry to have maximum impact. What can I say? I'm a showman. Professional habits die hard."

Almost against her wish, Gi's lips curved into a smile. "Well, do I still rate a hug?"

Wheeler chuckled softly. "Of course." He reached out with both hands and gently enveloped her in a loose hug, his jaw briefly resting against the side of her head. Nothing like the rib crushing hugs he used to give her once. Gi suddenly missed those days. She missed the banter and the intimacy that she had once shared with Wheeler. And God, how she had missed him. But things were different now. Now there were invisible walls between them. Walls and walls that just wouldn't come down.

Walls that she had, at least partly, been responsible for creating.

Repressing the sudden wave of regret that threatened to overwhelm her, Gi looked past Wheeler at Linka. Of all of them, Linka had perhaps changed the least. Appearance-wise and personality-wise. She still had the drop dead gorgeous looks that had attracted no small amount of male attention over the years. She still had the same cool, brisk and business-like demeanor that she had maintained throughout their duration as Planeteers.

"Hello, Linka," Gi said somewhat awkwardly. "How have you been?"

Linka smiled. "I am doing fine, Gi. It is good to see you again" Her smile was genuine, but there was something else. A stranger might have missed it, but Gi had known Linka for a long time.

Was that _jealousy _in Linka's eyes?

And resentment?

This was crazy. Linka couldn't still be mad at Gi over Wheeler. They had been married for _years_. Why would Linka still be mad at her? The very thought was ludicrous. And Linka prided herself on always being composed and thinking all her actions through logically.

Except where Wheeler was concerned. Linka had never been rational when it came to Wheeler.

This was stupid. Linka couldn't possibly still be mad at Gi over Wheeler after all these years.

Could she?

* * *

><p><strong>Coming up in the next chapter <strong>_**- The Way We Were **_**. The first flashback telling how it began.**

**As before, feel free to point out any flaws in my writing. And please review. Even if it is to tell that you don't like my writing. I can't improve if I don't get any feedback. And lack of reviews is not feedback.**


	3. The Way We Were

**We meet once again, my loyal readers.**

**So sorry I haven't updated in more than two months. But with college starting again, it is hard to find time.**

**To all my reviewers, thank you all so much for your enthusiastic appreciation. It makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. You rock.**

**And now, onto the eagerly anticipated (I hope) story.**

* * *

><p><em>Hold on, baby, you're losing it<br>The water's high, you're jumping into it  
>And letting go... and no one knows<br>That you cry, but you don't tell anyone  
>That you might not be the golden one<br>And you're tied together with a smile  
>But you're coming undone<em>

**_Tied Together With a Smile._**

**_Taylor Swift_**

* * *

><p>"Ok. So who wants to take us up?" Wheeler asked in a mock casual voice as he leaned against the side of the Geo-cruiser. The glint in his eyes betrayed the fake nonchalance in his voice as he innocently surveyed the rest of the group.<p>

Amanda suppressed her laughter as she watched Gi, Kwame and Ma-Ti fidget awkwardly. Clearly they were all itching to get their hands on the Geo-Cruiser's controls but they were trying hard, and failing, not to look too eager. After watching them stew for several seconds, Wheeler decided to put them out of their misery.

"Linka flew on the way here. So how about Gi fly us to the first stop, Ma-Ti can take over for the second stop, and Kwame can have the return trip," Wheeler offered. He was met with relieved nods from all three, Gi looking ecstatic to have drawn the first slot. Satisfied, Wheeler turned away and pressed his palm against the side of the doorframe. Amanda noted that Wheeler didn't ask her if she wanted a turn. She supposed that Kwame had told him about her last disastrous flight and her subsequent aversion towards the pilot's seat.

"Open all doors," he said clearly. The cruiser must have been set to obey voice commands, as the doors smoothly bulged out and swung upwards. The interior lights clicked on as Wheeler stepped inside. Amanda stepped in next, looking around curiously. The interior was entirely different from what she remembered. She assumed that Wheeler had remodeled it when he got it.

"Your chariot awaits m'lady ," Wheeler said, bowing dramatically to Gi and sweeping his hands towards the pilot's seat. "That is, _my_ chariot awaits you," he corrected himself.

"You are _still_ an ass." Gi remarked as she brushed past him, smiling at his hammy acting. The smile faded as she reached the pilot's seat. The seat cover was obviously new, but everything else was exactly as she remembered.

She ran her hand and her eyes over the panels, drinking in the familiar sight of the cockpit. Old, half buried memories flashed through her mind, crowding on each other and leaving no room to think. All the memories that she had put out of her mind for the past several years rushed in like a dam that had been overwhelmed and she was amazed at how much she had forgotten.

She remembered poring over plans and blueprints as she assembled the plans for the Cruiser. She remembered staying up nights to weld the framework. She remembered the satisfaction and relief of fitting the final hull plate into place. She remembered the exhilaration and joy of the first test flight. She remembered countless hours spent servicing, repairing and upgrading the aircraft, occasionally helped (and sometimes hampered) by Suchi and Wheeler. She remembered Wheeler teasing her and calling her _grease monkey._ She remembered retaliating by calling him _man-_monkey. She remembered Suchi jumping on Wheeler's shoulder at that moment, and herself grabbing a conveniently handy camera and managing to click a photo before collapsing with laughter.

She still had that photograph, framed on her mantelpiece.

Her breath caught in her throat. Her eyes prickled as the ache in her heart manifested into an almost physical sensation.

_Again? This is the third time in less than an hour. _The annoying voice in her head was back. _What's with the waterworks all of a sudden?_

Oh god, that was so ironic. _Water_works indeed.

Truth was, she missed her old life. She missed her friends. And she missed what they used to do together. Saving the world, outwitting bad guys, arguing with policymakers, campaigning for awareness. She missed it all, the good and the bad. The Geo-Cruiser had been her brainchild. So many of her best memories were tied to this aircraft, and being here brought it all rushing back.

The light nudge at her side brought her sharply back to reality. She turned around hastily and nearly stumbled when the hem of her dress caught the side of the seat and was only saved from an embarrassingly ungainly fall by a pair of deliciously warm hands that darted out to grasp her and pull her back on her feet. Which, in the narrow confines of the cockpit, brought her pressed against the broad chest of the owner of said hands.

Brown eyes met blue, and time slowed to a crawl. Gi didn't know how long they stood frozen like that. It could have been a few seconds… or a minute… hours… days… a lifetime.

Eventually Wheeler pulled away…

_(was it her imagination, or did he seem to be reluctant?)_,

…and the expression in his eyes changed from indescribable…

(_was it really indescribable or did she think so because she was afraid to hope? Or was she just indulging in wishful thinking?)_

… to something Gi could identify. Sadness. Understanding.

And nostalgia.

She could see it on his face. In his eyes. He missed it as much as she did…

_(She didn't dare to hope that he missed _her_)_

… and it was written all over his features. He gave her shoulders a slight squeeze and turned to buckle down in the co-pilot's seat. He hadn't spoken a single word. But then again, he didn't need to. The look he gave her and the feel of his hands on her bare shoulders spoke more than words ever could.

Even after all this time, they could still read each other so well.

And he could still play her heartstrings like one of his damned guitars. Without even trying.

She looked around to find the others still settling in their seats. No one was giving them funny looks. No one seemed to have noticed their little 'moment'. So it couldn't have been longer than a couple of seconds at the most.

A communication of a lifetime within the space of a couple of seconds.

And as Gi strapped down in the pilot's seat she wished desperately, not for the first time, that she would be able to reclaim _something_ out of the train wreck that her relationship with Wheeler had ended up as. She supposed that it was too much to hope that they could go back to the way they were. But she was willing to settle for just friendship, if nothing else. Hell, right now she was willing to settle for just being on comfortable talking terms for starters.

_Please God,_ Gi implored to whichever deity that might be hanging around on a night shift, _please let me salvage_ some_thing from this mess._

* * *

><p>Kwame settled into the surprisingly comfortable seat and closed his eyes, allowing himself a brief moment of respite. The intense travelling of the past few days was taking its toll on him, and he was glad for the opportunity to just kick back and let someone else take the responsibility of organizing things for a change.<p>

Some corner of his mind was vaguely following the banter between the rest of the group. He didn't participate. He was content to just lie back and let the words wash over him as his thoughts drifted over the past few weeks, subconsciously planning ahead before he caught himself and forced his mind to stop. There was a time for concentrating on work and there was a time for relaxing with friends. This was the latter.

Wheeler and Gi were bantering in the cockpit.

"So where to, _sir_?" Gi asked, exaggerating on the last word.

"Destination's marked on the GPS, _Jeeves_," Wheeler said, stretching lazily in his seat. "Just fly us straight there."

"Can I ask _what_ is at the destination point?" Gi prodded. Wheeler had been strangely secretive about their plans for the evening

"Oh, you can ask."

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"Well, _what is there at the destination point?"_ Gi huffed. It was strange how he could bring out the best _and_ the worst in her.

"It's a surprise."

"I worked that out for myself, funnily enough." Gi said drily. "I meant _what _is the surprise?"

"If I told you that, it wouldn't be a surprise anymore, would it?"

"Then why did you say that I could ask?"

"I said that you could _ask._ I never said that I would give you an answer."

Gi groaned and gave up. Her hand was itching to smack him, but he was just out of her arm's reach.

"I hope you still remember how to fly this thing," Wheeler continued lightly. "Linka's got rusty."

Kwame's thought processes froze as his tranquil moment shattered. His eyes flew open and he immediately leaned forward to defuse the argument that he just _knew_ was coming.

Too late.

"_I've _gotten rusty, Yankee?"

"Hell yeah. You were like, hell bent on finding every patch of turbulent air current on our way here. Just about rattled the goddam wings off."

"As if… I was _tired._ I came straight from work. Some of us have _actual_ jobs you know."

"I _told _you to take a nap, but y_ou _were the one who insisted on flying."

"And what of the tailspin you put us through during _your_ turn, Yankee?"

"Hey that was just for _thrills_."

"Thrills, my foot. I nearly lost my lunch."

"You had the power of wind. How can you _get_ airsick?"

"It doesn't turn me into a bird, you _Yeban'ko maloletnee_. You had the power of fire. How about _you_ jump into a furnace, and we can find out if it's changed you into a human salamander?"

Kwame groaned and closed his eyes, slumping back into his seat. That was it. There was nothing to do now but wait out the storm. He pinched the bridge of his nose in a fruitless attempt to stem the very familiar headache that he could already feel coming. In the seat next to him, across the aisle, Amanda was watching the rapidly escalating argument in apprehension as if expecting the two of them to go for each other's throats.

"Um… are they always like this?" she asked Kwame.

"Wait till they get warmed up," Ma-Ti said darkly from the seat in front of her. Kwame grunted in assertion and leaned back into his seat again with his eyes closed. This was one part of his Planeteer days that he did _not_ miss.

_From calm to storm in ten seconds flat. _Kwame thought ruefully. _The more things change, the more they remain the same._ His thoughts drifted back into the past. Back to the beginning of the situation that had led them to where they were now…

Back to the beginning of their end…

* * *

><p><em><strong>Flashback<strong>_

Kwame massaged his forehead, feeling a very familiar headache building up behind his eyes as he watched them argue. Again. Nothing new about that. They always argued. Usually over a trivial point that should have been easily resolved.

Kwame couldn't help wondering about their weird penchant for arguing all the time, whether they actually enjoyed it. At one time, he might have thought so. They seemed to be hell bent on finding every single point to squabble upon. Whose turn it was to cook, who was responsible for the mess, who was supposed to do this or that, whose fault it was if an assignment was screwed up, how to best approach a situation, how to best deal with a person…

The list went on and on. And on. It had worsened to the point the Kwame made it a rule never to pair them together whenever the five of them split up on assignments. He gave Linka a greater authority during planning and made Wheeler the point man in the field. It suited them both just fine. Linka was a planner by nature. She liked to take her time to think, to organize. That made her better suited to make the advance plans. Wheeler on the other hand, preferred to play it by the ear. His plans weren't very good as a rule, but he could come up with them very quickly. That made him best suited to think up alternatives when the Planeteers came up against something that they had not been prepared for. Of course that did nothing to stop the squabbling. The pair simply found other issues to argue on.

For a long time the other Planeteers had been in a habit of tuning them out when the verbal sparring started, content to let them get it out of their system. Usually it would be resolved in a matter of a couple of hours, and over time they had simply gotten used to the status quo.

But lately the arguments had started turning a bit nastier. They had a little more bite to the words. And they took a bit longer to get over. Far too much to be considered banter anymore, not that that had been the case in the past.

They were currently in a small town in western Mississippi, investigating into the contamination of the town's water supply by what seemed to be illegal dumping by a nearby factory. Four of the townspeople had succumbed to cancer, presumably caused by carcinogens that had leached into the water supply. That was when the Planeteers had arrived. One of the local girls had taken an immediate interest in Wheeler. Which brought them to this point. Kwame suspected that Linka was just jealous. But she would never admit it. Not even to herself.

"_FINE._ Go ahead. Leave us to do all the work. Just like you always do," Linka snarled. Next to her, Gi was poring resolutely over an encyclopedia, trying to act as if she didn't notice the drama unfolding before her.

"_IT'S THE FUCKIN' WEEKEND," _Wheeler roared back. "The people I'm supposed to be questioning _aren't here._ I can't do squat until tomorrow. So sue me if I wanna have a look around the place instead of sittin' around twiddling my thumbs. Jackie knows the area, and she offered to show me around. So what the hell's _your _problem?"

"Showing you around. _Da_. More like she will be showing _you_ off to everybody else," Linka said contemptuously. "And of course, you have absolutely no problem being her show dog. Especially if this _Jackie_ promises to let you have more than just a _look_."

"Quit talkin' in riddles. You wanna say somethin', spit it out," Wheeler said through clenched teeth. It only succeeded in making Linka even more enraged. If that was even possible.

"Fine, I will simplify it for you." Linka poked him in the chest with her finger. "This _Jackie_ will only be too happy to be seen hanging off your arm all over the town. Then you will comment on how the weather is getting _hot_ and she will bring you back to her place for a _drink._ And next thing her clothes are off."

Wheeler's eyes narrowed. "Contrary to what you may believe, I don't fool around with just any girl I happen to meet." His voice had gone from heated to ice cold.

"_Nyet._ Just the ones who deign to have you." Linka retorted.

"_Linka," _Gi gasped, having finally abandoned all pretense of being engrossed in her book. She stared at her friend, appalled that Linka could go this far for payback.

Kwame winced inwardly. Wheeler looked as if Linka had slapped him. He stared at her for several seconds, his mouth working wordlessly. Linka crossed her arms and returned his look with one of mixed fury and vindictive triumph.

"D'you really think that about me?" Wheeler asked in a low voice as his shoulders slumped. All the fight seemed to have gone out of him and it was painful to watch. Next to him, Kwame saw Gi's breath catch in her throat.

Kwame silently begged Linka to stop, to back down before she said something that couldn't be taken back. She was treading on thin ice here. So far it hadn't caused any damage that couldn't be fixed. It all rested on her response though. He could see the indecision on her face. She was starting to have second thoughts about her harsh tone, but her anger was far from gone. Kwame could see fury battling with common sense on Linka's face. And fury won.

"_Da_."

It was just one word. Just one syllable. Yet it was far more painful than any physical injury Wheeler had ever suffered.

Wheeler stood there staring in shock and hurt at Linka for several seconds. Finally he turned and spoke over his shoulder, "Fine. Think what you want. It's not like there's anything I can do to change your impression of me. And just for the record, I don't answer to you. Fucking Ice Queen." But there was no heat in his voice. He sounded tired.

Kwame's earlier annoyance gave way to pity as he watched Wheeler walk away, shoulders slumped and hands in his pockets. It wasn't as if Wheeler was entirely blameless himself, but that last barb that Linka had thrown at him had been needlessly cruel. Wheeler had made no secret of his crush on Linka from day one, and he had tried every trick in the book to let Linka know that he wanted them to be a couple. Unfortunately, his incessant attention had only managed to annoy Linka. The more he tried to get close to her, the more she pushed him away. Finally he turned his attention to other girls trying to make Linka jealous. It was a serious tactical mistake. It made Linka jealous alright, but Wheeler's plan backfired when she responded by pushing Wheeler even further away. Her retorts became sharper, more cutting. Wheeler, not one to take things lying down, responded with a few of his own. That was where their bickering started to take a nasty edge.

And now Linka had all but labeled Wheeler's efforts to get her attention as 'pathetic', by implying that any girl who showed an interest in Wheeler was either doing it out of pity, or just settling for him for the lack of a better choice.

Kwame didn't think that she had meant to be _that_ hurtful. She probably didn't stop to think about what she had said. But the fact remained that she had said it, and now it was out in the open. Whether by accident or by design, she had managed to hit Wheeler where his ego was the most vulnerable, and Kwame had a feeling that she had crossed a line this time.

Kwame shook himself out of his musings and turned to speak to Linka, only to find an empty spot where she had been. Apparently she had stormed off as well.

"I can't _believe_ she actually said that," Gi spoke up quietly.

Kwame sighed. "I am sure she did not really mean it," he offered. Gi shook her head.

"That was no slip of tongue. You know it as well as I do. She took a moment to think about it before she said it. That was no accident, it was deliberate. I don't suppose she meant to be _that_ hurtful. But that doesn't make it right." She heaved a deep sigh, and Kwame realized that this cold war between their friends was as stressful for Gi as it was for him, and probably more so for Ma-Ti.

"I can't really blame Linka for wanting to yell at Wheeler," Gi muttered. "He _can_ be immature and annoying at times. And it grates on her nerves. I get it. But that is no excuse for being spiteful. Wheeler isn't some jerk off the street. He is our friend, and he's a good guy. Even if Linka doesn't return his feelings, he doesn't deserve to have it thrown in his face like that. This time, she has finally gone too far."

Kwame was silent for several moments. "Go talk to her," he said at last. Gi shook her head and closed her book with a snap.

"If I go and talk to her, she is going to expect me to agree to everything she said and take her side in the argument, just like I have in the past. I don't think I could do that now. And once she realizes that I am not on her side for once, she is going to light into me as well. If that happens, I don't think I could keep from turning it into another shouting match, and we've had enough of that for one day." She stood up and stretched. "Get Ma-Ti to talk to her. I doubt that she would yell at _him_. I think I'll go and check on Wheeler. You coming?"

Kwame shook his head. "He is angry. And hurt. I don't think he will appreciate company right now. You go ahead. I don't think he'll shout at _you. _It will be easier on you if I am not there."

Gi nodded and gave his shoulder a light squeeze. As he watched her walk away, Kwame could feel the cracks starting to develop in their team.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Present time.<strong>_

The change in the pitch of the Geo-Cruiser's engines brought Kwame out of his reverie. A glance out of the window told him that they were hovering over a small airfield and descending down onto the helipad. A stretch limousine was waiting next to the helipad, presumably for them. Kwame was mildly surprised to realize that his musings had lasted for the entire trip. A glance at his watch showed that only fifteen minutes had passed.

The Cruiser touched down on the pad with a majestic hiss. Kwame pushed the remnants of his thoughts out of his head for the moment and forced himself to concentrate on the present as he and all the other occupants unbuckled and exited the aircraft.

"Well, climb aboard." Wheeler said enthusiastically, waving them to the limousine. "To the auditorium, Jeeves," he added to the elderly chauffer. Kwame thought that Wheeler looked excited, even though he was trying hard to appear casual.

"Very good, Mr. Wheeler," the chauffer replied in a clipped British accent, apparently used to Wheeler's antics.

"The _auditorium_?" Ma-Ti enquired as they pulled off. "What's at the auditorium?"

"Our entertainment for the evening," Wheeler said, in a voice that suggested that it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Is that why you asked if Amanda likes pop music?" Kwame asked. Wheeler nodded sheepishly in reply.

Amanda stared for a moment at Kwame and then at Wheeler. "A concert? Who's playing?"

"Oh look, here we are," Wheeler said airily as the brilliantly lit auditorium came into view. "Right on time. Anybody brought the tickets?"

Gi and Linka both turned and gave him The Look. Wheeler cringed and raised his hands in a gesture of mock surrender, unable to stifle the grin that was now threatening to split his face in half.

A knock on the window made him look up. Rolling down his window, he came face to face with a six foot plus behemoth who looked like he spent all his spare time in the weight room.

"May I see your tickets, sir?"

Wheeler dug around in his blazer and extracted a slip of folded paper. "Jason Wheeler. Party of six. Front row, VIP section."

The gorilla in the tuxedo examined the pass for a moment and checked it against a list on his clipboard. "Thank you, sir. Please proceed down the lane to your reserved parking lot. One of our attendants will escort you into the auditorium."

"We're going to a _band concert_?" Ma-Ti asked with a raised eyebrow.

"_Violin concert,"_ Wheeler corrected. "Pop- acoustic fusion. At least that is how she describes it. I don't know the first thing about music styles."

"That is how _who_ describes it?"

In response Wheeler simply pointed to a banner outside the window. The other occupants of the car craned their heads to read it.

**_Christine Wheeler. Live in Concert._**

Amanda turned to look at Wheeler. "Christine Wheeler?" she inquired with a raised eyebrow, "_Your daughter?_"

-xXx-

* * *

><p><strong>A review for your thoughts? Go on. You <em>know<em> you want to.**

**As before, feel free to criticize and offer suggestions.**


End file.
